Sandy leaves at least 5 dead

MariAn Gail Brown

Published 9:08 pm, Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Superstorm Sandy's churning surf and ripping winds caused the deaths of at least five in the region: an Easton firefighter, a Mansfield grandmother, a Milford swimmer, two North Salem, N.Y., boys -- and probably a Milford kayaker whose body has not been recovered.

Neary, the father of two and a vice president at General Re in Stamford, was responding to a call of a generator on fire Monday night with the Easton Fire Department, when downed tree limbs halted his fire truck on Judd Road. Firefighters were moving the debris when the wind toppled a tree on Neary.

"It was a line of duty death," Easton Fire Chief James Girardi said. "It's the first one we've ever had. And we're not over the shock of it. His death is a tremendous loss to his family, our department and the community."

Neary comes from a family known for its involvement in Easton. Both he and his brother, Peter, the town's fire marshal, are members of the department. Neary also coached his daughters' soccer teams and was an AYSO board member.

"He was always the guy who stepped up to tasks whatever they were -- even the unpleasant ones," Girardi said. "He was a go-to type of person. If you needed something done, you knew you could count on him."

Just like Neary, Raymond was killed by a tree.

After the power went out in the house she shared with her family Sunday night, she attempted to get to the home of a neighbor who still had power. A tree fell on her as she and her relatives picked their way through the darkness, State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance said, adding that Raymond's two relative suffered serious injuries and were taken to Windham Hospital.

Unlike Sandy's other victims, Jack Baumler and Michael Robson were playing inside Baumler's home near the North Salem-Ridgefield town Monday when a falling tree crashed through the roof of Baumler's house, killing them.

Bakunas came face to face with Sandy's fury Monday night in Long Island Sound off Milford's coastline. Bakunas jumped into the crashing waves off the pier at Walnut Beach in Milford, Coast Guard officials and police say. Initial reports stated Bakunas had leaped into the water on a dare. His body was recovered by the Coast Guard on Tuesday.

Still unaccounted for is Jett Kumweide, 23, of Milford. Kumweide has been missing since Sunday morning when he went kayaking with friend Thomas Root. Root was rescued by the Coast Guard. The rescue effort was called off later that day as the weather worsened.